Welcome to the
HEART OF ARLINGTON Neighborhood Association Arlington, Texas
Welcome to the
UTA's Growth Prompts big changes for campus in hana
A Proposed Campus Hotel, New Creekway, and More
UTA Vice President John Hall presented the university's current master plan at HANA's first General Meeting of 2026 on February 19. Despite a decline in international students, the university continues experiencing significant expansion through undergraduate admissions. Starting this summer, remodeling will begin on parts of the Student Center. Some older, smaller buildings will be replaced by taller buildings that allow more green space and significant efficiencies. Parking structures will incrementally replace surface lots, more parkland will be created, and even a hotel is planned in conjunction with the university's new hospitality program. For those of us concerned about the historic first home for Arlington High School, the university has already entertained at least one proposal for the hotel project that would preserve as much of the building as possible (much of it is non-compliant with current codes and ADA standards). Women's flag football is also coming... so to accommodate that, most of the aging football stadium on Davis Drive is coming down. Further minimizing potential conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians, a proposed new waterway parallel to Mitchell Street could combine safer transportation objectives, enhanced aesthetics, and erosion management with new green space distancing sidewalks from roadways. We'll see how much of it actually happens, but it's all proof that despite the school's new plans in western Fort Worth, their Arlington presence is only going to progress. Full details can be found on their website.
Arlington at 150, With America at 250
Arlington Mayor Jim Ross announced that our city, in conjunction with the State of Texas, will be throwing a massive fireworks and drone show over the lake behind Arlington's new National Medal of Honor Museum this coming July Fourth to celebrate the anniversaries of Arlington's founding 150 years ago, and America's 250 years ago. Questions were raised about traffic and logistics and Ross explained that transportation technology will be deployed to help keep things flowing as smoothly as possible.
Eight Affordable, Owner-Occupied Townhomes Proposed in HANA
Donna VanNess, President of Housing Channel, a non-profit home developer, asked to address our group relative to a brand-new project on that little empty space next to Grace Lutheran on Park Row, where she intends to construct 8 2-story townhomes. Her organization will vet the initial buyers and set up an HOA in which homeownership is perpetuated for each unit. The goal is to help low-income workers build family wealth through real estate. She's already won unanimous support from Arlington's Planning and Zoning Commission, and she will be working with HANA's board on aesthetics and design standards for her 3-bedroom, 2-car-garage units. More details will be forthcoming on this project, but you can visit the group's website to learn more about them.